The Truth
by potato-sensei
Summary: What if Kaoru were a wolf in sheep's clothing? Be prepared for an unexpected twist! Note: May contain spoilers if you haven't seen the end of the Kyoto Arc.


"The Truth"

"It's so amazing . . . how no one suspects a thing . . . ," she said.

"When will you tell them the truth?" asked Saito.

"Eventually," replied Tokio. "I will tell them eventually."

Saito touched the top of her head, "In the mean time, take your hair out of that ridiculous ponytail." He pushed ber bangs back and kissed her forehead softly. Everyone else thought that Saito was dead, and for now Tokio would have to pretend that she thought so, too. Only because no one else knew the truth.

No one knew the truth but these two. _The truth was _Tokio had been living in Tokyo for some time, and none of the "Kenshingumi" had _ever really _met her. Or so they thought. _The truth was_ that they crossed paths almost every day. Some even lived in the same house with her. _The truth was that she had been pretending to be Kamiya Kaoru since before Kenshin had come across the dojo._ And the day would come when she must confess this truth.

Saito confronted her about this every chance he saw her, which was not often. It seemed natural for him to await his wife's return home, but it was as if she did not want to return. It was not that he did not trust her. They were far past that. It had only taken one instant, "You're in love with the man, aren't you?"

"How could you think that?" she whimpered as tears started to fall, "I could not love another man more than I love you . . . "

"Then why?" Saito swallowed hard, desperately trying to keep his own emotions under control, "Why won't you tell them the truth and come home?"

"Because he is sad like you were," she whispered. Then she kissed him- a silent good bye. And it only made him miss her more. This was the one woman he loved. The one woman whose very existence forced him to use that word- love. She was the only person who knew who he really was.

They were not one sided emotions though. Tokio missed Saito just as much, if not more. She would lay there at night and stare at the ceiling contemplating ways to tell everyone the truth. Then when she fell asleep she dreamed of Hajime. She could swear that some nights she awoke just about screaming his name. But she never worried that the others would find out. If she wasn't Kaoru, then _who_ would they think she was? _She was Kaoru to them._

Finally it happened. Kenshin and Yahiko had been cleaning out the shed when they found some old portraits. Assuming they were hers they left them on the table in her room. When Tokio came back to the room later, she picked up the portraits realizing that they were of the Kamiya family. Many of the pictures were of the _real_ Kaoru. _"Tonight I must tell them,"_ she thought.

As they sat at the table to eat, Tokio glanced at her food in a way that said she wasn't hungry. Kenshin noticed and asked in a worried tone, "What's the matter, Kaoru-dono?"

Yahiko joked, "Yeah, you should eat up! It's not like it's your cooking tonight!"

"There's something I must tell you two," she had to force the words out.

"What about, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin inquired.

"About the portraits you found. They aren't of me," she swallowed, trying not to cry. She tried to convince herself in her mind, _"I can go back to Hajime if I tell them now. This is good. It's for the best."_

"Then who is it? A relative? a frie-"

"It is no one that I know of. The truth is . . . " she paused.

"The truth?" Kenshin's eyes grew large with concern.

"I am not Kamiya Kaoru," she managed to say before her eyes overflowed with tears. _"I can finally go home,"_ she thought.

Yahiko, startled, managed to stifle out a question, "Then- Then who are you?"

"My name is Tokio. Fujita Tokio."

"I think I understand now, that I do," said Kenshin.

"You do? Y-You're not angry?" Tokio queried, confused.

"Of course not. Saito is lucky to have someone as kind as you for a wife, indeed he is," stated Kenshin with his trademark grin.

"Ano . . . " Tokio was shocked now. _"This man knows exactly who I am?"_

"I'm assuming you were sent here by the police to wait for me, isn't that so?"

"Yes, that's true. But it is also true that you are not the man I thought you would be," she replied.

"Then I guess that means your assignment here is complete, right?" asked Yahiko.

"I suppose it does," Tokio started to smile again and wiped her tears with her sleeve.

"Then you should go home now. Go home to your husband, Tokio-dono," Kenshin suggested.

"I will. Thank you for everything," she chirped.

"On the contrary, thank you. You've done so much for the both of us, but the dojo will be left in good hands. Although, it would be nice if you would come and stay with us again, and Saito as well- Oro!"

"Kenshin, don't push it!" Yahiko elbowed the older man.

After tying up some loose ends, and telling everyone else good bye, Tokio left for Kyoto. But she did not send notice of her journey home to Saito. She would surprise him- the man who was so hard to surprise. She arrived at their home in just enough time before Saito was off duty. She was able to cook up some plain soba noodles. Then she waited for her husband to arrive.

As he entered, Saito immediately smelled the soba noodles, "Who's here? Show yourself!" Suddenly Tokio appeared, "What? No 'I love you'?" Saito ran up and kissed her. It had been so long.

"I made your favorite," said Tokio cheerfully.

Saito smiled, "Of course you did. Plain soba is the only thing that you were ever good at making."


End file.
